Hollywood PR firm, 42West, denies claims from 21st Century Group that it's involved with its Women in Media Conference 2018: 'We've never managed Halle Berry or Taraji P. Henson', no legal action filed against agency.

The reputable Hollywood PR firm, 42West, denies claims from the 21st Century Group, organisers of the International Women in Media Conference 2018, that it was ever involved in the now-dubious event and says it never managed Halle Berry or Taraji P. Henson as 21st Century Group claims.

The event that was announced to take place on 5 and 6 September in the Sandton Convention Centre, derailed on Wednesday last week after stars like Taraji P. Henson and Halle Berry who were announced as being part of it, said they won't attend and are not involved with it, and slammed the organisers over "fake advertising", saying it's "shameful that 21st Century Group would advertise this way".

Bonang Matheba has also bailed on the event and Webtickets told TVwithThinus that it has halted all sales.

Taraji P. Henson, who visited South Africa previously as part of a publicity blitz in mid-2016 for Fox Networks Group UK & Africa’s FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131 / Cell C black 201) channel, said that she is working on Empire, isn't part of the conference, and that she wants her name and likeness removed from it.

The 21st Century Group in a statement said it is suing and starting a "legal lawsuit" against  42West, a well-known PR firm in the United States, and something called "Superstar Agency".

TVwithThinus made a media enquiry to 42West who responded with a statement saying 21st Century Group is lying, that 42West never managed Halle Berry or Taraji P. Henson, isn't a management firm but a PR agency and isn't aware of legal action filed against it as 21st Century Group claimed.

"There is absolutely no truth to any of the claims regarding 42West attributed to 21st Century Group," says a 42West spokesperson in a statement.

"To begin with, 42West is not a management firm and we have certainly never managed Halle Berry or Taraji P. Henson."

"Moreover, we have never signed any contracts on behalf of Halle Berry or Taraji P. Henson. Finally, to our knowledge, no legal action has been filed against 42West with regard to this matter."

It's not clear whether 1Magic(DStv 103), one of the M-Net channels supplied to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, remains the official media partner because M-Net has so far refused to publicly distance itself from the organisers and the event or to affirm its ongoing involvement.

It's also not yet clear whether other announced talent like the Carte Blanche presenter Claire Mawisa, the Mzansi Magic producer and actress Connie Ferguson, Amanda du Pont, actress Salamina Mosese and Thabile Ngwato are still involved. 

Halle Berry slams 'shameful' 21st Century Group over International Women in Media Conference, says fans were misled and that she's not part of it.

The Hollywood actress Halle Berry has slammed the "shameful" 21st Century Group, organisers of the International Women in Media Conference 2018, saying she knows nothing about it although her name was announced and included along with Ashanti and Taraji P. Henson while none of them are part of this.

The event announced to take place on 5 and 6 September in the Sandton Convention Centre, derailed on Wednesday after stars like Taraji P. Henson and Halle Berry who were announced as being part of it, said they won't attend and are not involved with it, and slammed the organisers over "fake advertising", saying it's "shameful that 21st Century Group would advertise this way".

Bonang Matheba has also bailed on the event and Webtickets told TVwithThinus that it has halted all sales.

Taraji P. Henson, who visited South Africa previously as part of a publicity blitz in mid-2016 for Fox Networks Group UK & Africa’s FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131 / Cell C black 201) channel, said that she is working on Empire, isn't part of the conference, and that she wants her name and likeness removed from it.

The 21st Century Group in a statement said it is suing and starting a "legal lawsuit" against  42West, a well-known PR firm in the United States, and something called "Superstar Agency".

Halle Berry on Saturday on social media slammed 21st Century Group and said she knows nothing about the announced event and that 21st Century Group had misled her fans.

"To clear the air, I will not be attending the Women in Media Conference 2018. I apologise to any of my fans who were misled - I know nothing about this, I have never heard of it. It's shameful that 21st Century Group would advertise this way," Halle Berry said.

To clear the air... I will NOT be attending #WimCon2018. I apologize to any of my fans who were mislead - I know NOTHING about this, I have never heard of it. It’s shameful that @21stcg_Global would advertise this way. Thank you @TherealTaraji for letting people know. https://t.co/GRvUcimEBv

— Halle Berry (@halleberry) August 11, 2018

It's not clear whether 1Magic (DStv 103), one of the M-Net channels supplied to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, remains the official media partner because M-Net has so far refused to publicly distance itself from the organisers and the event or to affirm its ongoing involvement.

It's also not yet clear whether other announced talent like the Carte Blanche presenter Claire Mawisa, the Mzansi Magic producer and actress Connie Ferguson, Amanda du Pont, actress Salamina Mosese and Thabile Ngwato would appear.

M-Net remains silent over 1Magic's involvement as 'official media partner' with 21st Century Group's now-dubious Women in Media Conference 2018.

M-Net has so far chosen to remained silent over the involvement of its 1Magic (DStv 103) channel, billed as the "official media partner", with 21st Century Group's now-dubious Women in Media Conference 2018.

The event announced to take place on 5 and 6 September in the Sandton Convention Centre, derailed on Wednesday after stars like Taraji P. Henson and Halle Berry who were announced as being part of it, said they won't attend and are not involved with it, and slammed the organisers over "fake advertising", saying it's "shameful that 21st Century Group would advertise this way".

Bonang Matheba has also bailed on the event and Webtickets told TVwithThinus that it has halted all sales.

Taraji P. Henson, who visited South Africa previously as part of a publicity blitz in mid-2016 for Fox Networks Group UK & Africa’s FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131 / Cell C black 201) channel, said that she is working on Empire, isn't part of the conference, and that she wants her name and likeness removed from it.

The 21st Century Group in a statement said it is suing and starting a "legal lawsuit" against  42West, a well-known PR firm in the United States, and something called "Superstar Agency".

21st Century Group said that "Superstar Agency is the agency that booked Taraji P. Henson through her management, which is 42West PR. The engagement contract was signed by Susan Bymel on behalf of Superstar Agency. We also have a contract that was signed by John on behalf of 42West (Taraji’s management) confirming the booking. A deposit payment of $120 000 was paid to Superstar Agency."

An internet search couldn’t find a website for Superstar Agency. 

The American talent agent Suzan Bymel does exist, but her first name is spelled with a “z” and she is the co-founder of the Management 360 talent agency in the United States.

It's not clear whether 1Magic, one of the M-Net channels supplied to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, remains the official media partner because M-Net has so far refused to publicly distance itself from the organisers and the event or to affirm its ongoing involvement.

The 1Magic channel logo appears on 21st Century Group's marketing material for the Women in Media Conference 2018, giving the event its "seal of approval".

In the past week M-Net was asked questions specifically pertaining to 1Magic and the Women in Media Conference, as well as the pay-TV broadcaster's attachment as the event's official media partner.

Nondumiso Mabece, head of publicity at M-Net for local entertainment channels, didn't want to respond to the specific questions and instead referred media enquiries, although made specifically about M-Net and 1Magic and its involvement, to the organisers 21st Century Group.

Nondumiso Mabece said M-Net and 1Magic will not be issuing any statement on the conference.

As the South African public is wondering what exactly is going on, the pay-TV broadcaster was asked how M-Net checked and what steps were taken to verify that it's a legitimate event and what 1Magic's involvement in and with the event is.

M-Net was asked whether 1Magic will continue to be the official media partner of 21st Century Group's Women in Media Conference 2018, and whether M-Net is now looking into what went wrong.

M-Net was also asked whether it helped to secure talent for the event and whether M-Net and 1Magic is still fine for some of the talent like the Carte Blanche presenter Claire Mawisa and Mzansi Magic producer and actress Connie Ferguson to appear and be attached to the event.

M-Net was asked what M-Net and 1Magic wants to communicate and say to the public in regard to the Women in Media Conference 2018 over its involvement with the event and what has transpired so far.

Meanwhile the fallout and public reputation damage around 21st Century Group and its Women in Media Conference 2018 continues.

This reputational damage is also impacting M-Net's 1Magic as an attached partner, with the channel also incurring brand damage as the pay-TV brand remains unwilling to tell the public where it stands and what is going on regarding its involvement.

Bonang Matheba dumps shambolic Women in Media Conference after 21st Century Group claims Empire's Taraji P. Henson will appear, followed by a Cookie clapback denial, and then with her and Halle Berry's names removed.

Bonang Matheba has dumped and publicly shamed the shambolic Women in Media Conference 2018 set for 5 September in Johannesburg after the organisers, 21st Century Group, in an announcement claimed that the Empire star Taraji P. Henson and film and TV star Halle Berry would appear - only for Henson to slam the organisers for lying and ordering them to remove the false advertising after which 21st Century Group went silent.

The inaugural conference with expensive ticket prices was sold as having celebrities who would apparently talk about various topics including the business of production, the art of acting and presenting, and "how to make it in Hollywood".

After the spectacle of Wednesday's massive public embarrassment, the personality and reality TV star Bonang Matheba, who announced the alleged attendees at the Women in Media Conference 2018 media event and who would have been the master of ceremonies, in a statement on Wednesday evening said that she's dumping the conference and distancing herself from the organisers.

Bonang Matheba heaped public scorn on the organisers of the Women in Media Conference 2018 for dragging her name into a growing public embarrassment, with the conference that has M-Net's 1Magic (DStv 103) channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform as the official media partner attached to it.

Bonang Matheba said she "had been attracted by the event's apparent women's empowerment principles" but that "as there has been no official feedback or clarity from the organisers following today's allegations", she will no longer be participating.

The fallout started after Bonang Matheba announced that American stars like Taraji P. Henson known for her role as Cookie in the drama series Empire on FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131 / Cell C black 201), Halle Berry, and South African TV stars like Mzansi Magic's Connie Ferguson, Amanda du Pont, M-Net's Carte Blanche presenter Claire Mawisa, and actress Salamina Mosese would appear at the Sandton Convention Centre.

Taraji P. Henson immediately slammed the organisers when she was looped in on social media, and asked them to immediately remove her name from the false advertising.

"False! I will not be there. Never heard of this event and was never invited. Please remove my name from this event because it is false," said Taraji P. Henson on her Twitter account about 21st Century Group's announcement including her name and image.

"Please remove my name from this event. It is false advertisement," said Taraji P. Henson who slammed 21st Century Group and the Women in Media Conference 2018 for  misleading her fans, saying that "I am disappointed, actually I am pissed".

Taraji P. Henson, who visited South Africa before, said she is busy working on the upcoming next season of FOX's Empire and that she definitely won't be coming to the country.

"I am working on Empire. It is impossible for me to be there. I hate that this organisation is misleading my fans."

She said her "team would never agree to anything on my behalf without me knowing. That is not how I run my business."

After this, and without saying anything, 21st Century Group removed Taraji P. Henson's name and likeness from its marketing material. Soon afterwards, Halle Berry's image and announcement in the line-up also abruptly disappeared  - again without any explanation.

Four hours on Wednesday 21st Century Group had no comment, saying the PR would "issue a statement on Monday".

On social media, 21st Century Group later on Wednesday on Twitter about its growing scandal said "we are trying to get to the bottom of this as fast as possible. There are a number of agencies and parties involved in securing the global and local talent for this conference, both in New York and Johannesburg".

"We ask that you give us time to ascertain the facts so that we can communicate the way forward clearly, which we will do as a matter of urgency."

TVwithThinus asked 1Magic on Wednesday as the billed "official media partner" for comment. 1Magic referred media enquiries to 21st Century Group.

21st Century Group meanwhile didn't respond to an emailed media enquiry made Wednesday evening seeking clarity regarding what is going on, why Halle Berry has been announced and then removed, and why Taraji P. Henson has been announced and then removed.

BREAKING. M-Net grabs brand-new drama Extant with Halle Berry, instantly slots it in to start on Wednesday at 21:30.

You're reading it here first. 

M-Net has grabbed and secured the broadcasting rights to brand-new drama Extant with Halle Berry and will start broadcasting it instantly from Wednesday 23 July at 21:30 on M-Net (DStv 101) in line with the South African pay-TV broadcaster's excellent new turbo-charged roll-out strategy of acquiring and broadcasting not just premium foreign content, but also quicker.

With Extant moving into M-Net's Wednesday night slot of 21:30 immediately, everything after it will one hour later on the schedule.

CSI XIV will start at 22:30 with a new episode, Ray Donovan II will follow at 23:30 with a repeat episode, House of Cards II will follow with a repeat episode at 00:30, and The Leftovers I will follow with a repeat episode at 01:30.

Extant will repeat on M-Net on Thursdays at 15:15 and on Sundays at 16:00.

Extant was created by Steven Spielberg who is also the co-executive producer. The well-reviewed drama which did respectable numbers when it started last week in the United States follows Molly Woods (Halle Berry), an astronaut who returns to Earth after an "incident" in space.

Uh-oh ... Molly discovers she's pregnant. Clearly some form of alien presence or alien baby is growing inside her.

Extant is set in the future although the drama is vague about what year, her "son" on Earth for instance is an android, a bit like the movie A.I which Steven Spielberg also did.